Why Am I Here Again?
by Black Jeweled Widow
Summary: A frigid Glacian woman decides it is time to get out there. She attends a party and finds herself in over her head when confronted by a Black Jeweled Warlord Prince.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** This is a work of fiction biased in the world created by Anne Bishop in her Black Jewels Trilogy. The characters are however are original and copyright of their maker. Keep in mind that **not all of these characters are mine**. I use them with permission of the maker. This is a thread from Ebony, a forum I role-play on. The link is my homepage if you wish to check it out. As such not all of this is written by me and again is used with permission.

Raith Malakhim are characters made by J and I use them with his permission. Gaia Mircia is mine.

Characters: Black Jeweled Black Widow Warlord Prince Raith Malakhim

Rose Jeweled Black Widow Healer Gaia Mircia

**Writer of this chapter**: J and Me

* * *

Gaia tossed her head back slightly to remove short strands of spiky blonde hair form obscuring her blue eyed gaze. She really shouldn't be here; trapped on this fucking boat full of Aristo witches and Warlords, mixing it up with men and women whose jewels eclipse hers. Most of them, she noticed as well, long lived races.

She was so out of place and it was painfully obvious. Pale skin, pale eyes, pale hair and clothes that were far too easy to move in. Too semi-formal it seemed for what was going on around her.

The Black Widow Healer was underdressed. The blue leather halter top and blue leather pants that hugged her thighs but flared around the knees and just brushed the floor as she stood were hardly formal. The minor, one inch silver heels gave her just enough height so the pants didn't drag, not that she really gave a damn. She did nothing with her hair since it always had a unique look and wore a simple silver chain around her neck, her rose jewel hanging just above her breasts.

With her back wedged in the corner and strong arms crossed over her chest, paranoid blue orbs licked from one person to the next. She was here because she'd been stupid and thought it might be fun. Might have been a time where she could mix with a few people outside of Glacia. Fuck had she been wrong. But she was stuck here, and she would deal with whatever and whoever came her way.

She wouldn't run. Never run. She was not a small woman, and even if her jewel was light in colour she could make up for what it lacked with venom, and fair fighting skill. Her eyes passed over another Eyrien and she tensed... If she happened to get on the bad side of one of those winged beings...she would be so fucked.

* * *

Spotting the wall flower Raith raised an eyebrow at her and excused himself out of the group of people he was talking to. Handily being one of the hosts it was easy to politely get out of unwanted conversations by insisting you had to talk to others, it was one of the perks that people expected you to talk to everyone and so no fucker had a right to get insulted.

It was nice to see someone other than one of the long lived races here, the blonde hair and blue eyes standing out quiet nicely, plus the semi formal outfit, he could see why she had pressed herself into a corner. No matter the determined look on her face.

Raith dropped his empty glass on a passing servant's tray and weaved his way through the crowd before bowing to the Black Widow Healer.

He grinned and held out his hand from his half prone position, laying on the Hayllian charm, the Black and Red on their steel chain swinging out his shirt.

"May I have this dance Lady?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** This is a work of fiction biased in the world created by Anne Bishop in her Black Jewels Trilogy. The characters are however are original and copyright of their maker. Keep in mind that **not all of these characters are mine**. I use them with permission of the maker. This is a thread from Ebony, a forum I role-play on. The link is my homepage if you wish to check it out. As such not all of this is written by me and again is used with permission. 

Raith Malakhim are characters made by J and I use them with his permission. Gaia Mircia is mine.

Characters: Black Jeweled Black Widow Warlord Prince Raith Malakhim

Rose Jeweled Black Widow Healer Gaia Mircia

**Writer of this chapter**: J and Me

* * *

Gaia's blue eyes sharpened and narrowed on the man as he approached. She took in the details of the moving body carefully. His skin tone and his hair, the way he moved, especially his jewels. She wasn't sure if she liked the conclusion she came to. If it wasn't the host, the Warlord Prince of Little Terrielle. Just her luck. 

She would have to be stupid not to at least know of him; even with her usually sheltered life. One of her light brows arched at him, blue spheres moving from his face to his hand and back. The charm he laced into his words worried her of his intentions, but assuming he wanted anything more than a dance would be rude. He was after all, the host.

In the end she stepped away from the wall and took the man up on his offer with a slight smile. _I am here for fun._ She told herself. _I might as well give this shit a shot._

"As you wish Prince, but I am hardly a Lady. Call me Gaia, please."

She was very careful with her words, gentle and polite. She was no Queen and she'd never served in a proper Court but she knew enough of the way of things to get past. Either she'd learned it on her own or her Father had taught her. Thankfully dancing had been one of those things.

* * *

Raith grinned and took the offered hand leading her onto the dance floor, dancing with guests was another excuse for getting out of talking to people, it was, just like all the mindless chatter, he thought he spoken more about the yacht to people them any time in his life, least it was an icebreaker, something which was expected of him. 

Good thing he enjoyed it. "Gaia," He said with a grin as if tasting her name taken the lead and moving them both through the beginning steps to the music playing. "Mother in the old tongue," He said thoughtfully before smiling again, obviously just enjoying the dance.  
"And if we're going for informality you better call me Raith then." He said with another grin, "Seen as I definitely can't comment on my Princely status."

It was strange dancing with a woman almost as tall as him, her heels, and hair, giving her extra height but not unpleasant and she moved well enough. Raith wondered if she'd be up for another round after this song just to stop him having to talk to some of the fuckwits he'd seen.

"Glacian?" He commented, she looked it but you never quiet knew. He'd seen enough blondes kicking around LT to never make more than an educated guess at where people came from.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** This is a work of fiction biased in the world created by Anne Bishop in her Black Jewels Trilogy. The characters are however are original and copyright of their maker. Keep in mind that **not all of these characters are mine**. I use them with permission of the maker. This is a thread from Ebony, a forum I role-play on. The link is my homepage if you wish to check it out. As such not all of this is written by me and again is used with permission.

Raith Malakhim are characters made by J and I use them with his permission. Gaia Mircia is mine.

Characters: Black Jeweled Black Widow Warlord Prince Raith Malakhim

Rose Jeweled Black Widow Healer Gaia Mircia

**Writer of this chapter**: J and Me

* * *

"As you wish Raith." Gaia responded, moving with him though the steps. She was not court trained whore whose body's movement was more for seduction and pleasure than for the music. She danced because he'd asked her too and she wasn't about to turn down the host's offer. Given, dancing always had some undertone of intimacy given how bodies moved and pressed with one another but that was as far as she'd let it go. Black jewel or not, her foot would find its way between his legs before his cock found its way between hers. 

"Yes, born and raised for nineteen years thus far." She was used to looking men in the eye without having to tip her head up. It always amused her how some men seemed disturbed and intimidated by the fact she could meet them eye to eye without seeming smaller or weaker than what she was. She prided herself on that.

"And you're originally from the Realm of Light correct?" Her head tipped just enough that some of her blonde strands fell into her eyes. "A member of one of the major Aristo families?" There were always rumors surrounding those in power and that was one of the many she'd heard concerning him. "What are you doing mixing it up with a short-lived healer?"

The comment was made lightly, dare even say humorously. He knew who she was, what she was and was still here. Bully for him.

* * *

"Yes and yes," Answered Raith. "And because you're saving me from talking to people I really can't be bothered to talk to, plus you looked like you could use a little fun. Unless you planned on scowling at one and all all night." Raith grinned, showing he didn't mean it and moved through one of the dances more complicated steps, he knew some people came here determined to be seen, others because they felt they had to but this witch, with her determined set to her shoulders and steel look in her eye, he wasn't quite sure of her reasoning. 

"I could ask you the same, what are you doing accepting one of the host's offers to dance?"  
Raith didn't give a fuck whether she was short lived, light jewelled and out ranked, Raith liked people, he always had, in a 'very few ever got to know him beyond his friendly 'Court' personality' way.  
The friendliness was near enough only an over coat though because underneath he remained exactly what he was brought up like, the ever thinking Aristo Hayllian, cold as the night it's self.

"Is this your first time out of Glacia then?"

* * *

Gaia did not respond to him right away, her brow furrowing slightly to keep her step with his and not make a fool of herself. She managed and once the fancy footwork returned to the usual steps she answered. 

"You can't bother with other Aristo but have time to dance with me? Mhmm." She frowned and glared at him. The rat bastard was using her to slip away from something he didn't want to do. Well he just lost all credibility he had with her. Her next step was hardly part of the dance.

Quickly, she stepped back while still holding his hands and then used her right leg to kick his out from under him and then pushed him back to make sure the man fell onto his back. Her thin fingers wiggled out of his and her icy eyes sharpened.

"No but it's not my first time outside of Glacia but it's pricks like you that make the icy solitude far more appealing than the outside world." She tossed her head, throwing the blonde strands out of her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Maybe next time you'll think twice before using a seemingly harmless witchling to get out of doing your duties. I'm no one's bitch Raith and if you think you can use me like that you can take your cock and shove it up your aristocratic ass." She began stepping back from him still scowling but not about to turn her back on him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** This is a work of fiction biased in the world created by Anne Bishop in her Black Jewels Trilogy. The characters are however are original and copyright of their maker. Keep in mind that **not all of these characters are mine**. I use them with permission of the maker. This is a thread from Ebony, a forum I role-play on. The link is my homepage if you wish to check it out. As such not all of this is written by me and again is used with permission.

Raith Malakhim are characters made by J and I use them with his permission. Gaia Mircia is mine.

Characters: Black Jeweled Black Widow Warlord Prince Raith Malakhim

Rose Jeweled Black Widow Healer Gaia Mircia

**Writer of this chapter**: J

* * *

Temper flared, dropping the room temperature noticeable and quieting the crowd. Suddenly there was the sense that the woman dancing with Prince Malakhim had gone to fucking far. Normally Raith was pretty balanced for a Warlord Prince, he smiled, let people he knew tease the life out of him, talked to anyone and generally tried to get along with at least most people he met. He didn't have a Queen to defend and so the territorial temper and violence he possessed was focused solely on Hayll and Little Terielle, that didn't mean though he was always going to react genteelly. 

In fact the only thing which saved her life at that point was a podgy, rumpled Aristo of some short lived variety who was far to drunk to notice the depth of the cold anger rolling out from the Abyss lurching towards the Black Widow Healer.

"Oh MY." He grinned. "What a fine filly, haw haw haw." It wasn't even a laugh it was the haw pronounced by someone who had an idea that he was suppose to laugh but hadn't got a clue how to. "What are you doing here?"

He lurched at her leering up while trying to paw one boob, splashing wine all over her as he attempted it. "How about you and me go back to my cabin? Haw Haw, I could really do with riding a fine little missy like you."

The mans head exploded, followed by his body in nice neat chunks, splattering gore across the room in a tight arc and suddenly the freezing cold vanished. Raith looked across at Gaia, pale eyes cold and distant as stars and smiled, before tilting his head slightly.  
The blood vanished.  
Suddenly the freezing cold wasn't quiet so cold, oh it was still there, the Warlord Prince's quiet contained aura said it was but he'd worked the urge to strike out in violence from his system enough for him to control it. The Black glittered at his walked forward to Gaia and smiled at her.

"Lady." He said and bowed. "Please, come with me."

One cold hand fastened around her arm while he turned, every movement of his body saying that without a doubt that if she fought back he would hurt her.

The next hour Raith spent touring the yacht with Gaia on his arm, any attempt she made to get away caused his temper to flare, and Raith guided them both to little groups, spoke to every dross filled Aristo he could find.  
Women who gave Gaia looks of venom and words of pretty poison that she was on his arm and not them, thinly veiled threats of murder, males who were no less drunk than the Warlord, no less lecherous than before and every time it looked like she would say something out of turn Raith forced her to still her tongue and be nice.

For an hour they kept that up, an hour of dealing with sycophants and whores, gold diggers and Blood who no matter what Jewel or caste they had thought that Aristo meant better than everyone.

Finally he led her back to the dance floor, his temper had dissipated but underneath all it had revealed was vicious contempt he forced her to feel.

I trust you understand now, some of my duties. He smiled, so cold, like a ceramic mask across his face. And can forgive a me that over 400 years of doing the same _fucking shit_ has led to the occasional wish to misbehave by dancing with people I find interesting for a couple of minuets.

He bowed and raised an eyebrow. "May I have this dance Lady?" He said publicly.

And while I understand that while it is my responsibility to deal with those being who I am and what I have taken on to my shoulders, it doesn't mean I can't have any fucking fun every now and again. Especially when Rose Jeweled Black Widow Healers are normally more stimulating than the everyday imbeciles I have to interact with. So yes I can't be bothered to talk to aristo's when I have the chance to dance with you.

Raith suddenly grinned, the mask dropping off his face. Plus I would like to point out, you asked. And I quote 'What are you doing mixing it up with a short-lived healer?' If you didn't like the answer that's not my fault, I least I treated you with enough decency to answer it truthfully.  
So I would at least ask for the same treatment of my former question in return. What were you doing accepting one of the host's offers to dance?

"Now you want to finish the dance or not?"


End file.
